Australia's most dangerous driving habits revealed

A survey has found most Australian drivers admitted to doing potentially dangerous things, including eating takeaways and driving while wearing thongs.

The Safe Driving Report from finder.com.au found Generation Y drivers were the most likely to undertake risky behaviour, with 78 per cent admitting to reckless behaviour, including sending texts and using social media while driving.

The survey of more than 1800 drivers found 62 per cent admitted to dangerous behaviour behind the wheel.

The most common potentially dangerous activities were eating takeaways followed by driving in thongs and then sending text messages.

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Smoking, reaching back to deal with children and answering a phone directly to their ear were also common risky activities, and 9 per cent of surveyed drivers admitted to driving with their knees.

While some of the statistics were concerning, Finder.com.au car insurance expert Bessie Hassan said it was good to see some statistics shrink since last year's report.

"It’s promising that the number of people admitting to texting and calling while driving has decreased since last year’s report, which indicates that Australians are listening to the statistics on how deadly this can be," she said.

"Many of us are probably guilty of doing at least one of these before, but we shouldn’t be sacrificing our safety for convenience."

Research has found 38 per cent of Australians have admitted to eating takeaways while driving.Credit:One Task

The report found NSW and South Australian drivers had the safest driving habits, while Victoria and Western Australia had the riskiest drivers with 64 per cent admitting to engaging in risky activities.

Western Australians were most likely to drive in thongs, at 37 per cent compared with 29 per cent in NSW and Victoria.

While female drivers have a reputation for being safe, women were more likely than mean to eat takeaways and drive in thongs.

The research found Baby Boomers were the safest drives, with 59 per cent saying they never did anything risky behind the wheel.

"It's concerning that so many Australians admit to risking their lives and those of others by engaging in these dangerous behaviours on the road," Ms Hassan said.

"While eating takeaway or reaching into the back seat may seem harmless, the reality is that all distractions can be dangerous."

Using a hand-held mobile phone is illegal in most states, with penalties including demerit points and a fine.

While other driving behaviours are not necessarily legislated against, in Victoria drivers can be charged with "careless driving", which is a widely interpreted charge police lay when they allege "you did not drive with the care and attention that a reasonable driver would", according to Legal Aid. Penalties range from fines and demerit points to losing your licence.